


La Petite Mort

by andthatisterrible



Series: Shoot Vampire AU [2]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, Mostly Smut, Vampires, there's some cute stuff too i guess, vampire!shaw/human!root
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:42:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21676945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthatisterrible/pseuds/andthatisterrible
Summary: Set a week after 'once bitten, twice gay', Root returns to Shaw's secluded castle for a second, extended visit. Shaw's a vampire; root's a human. They bang a lot and maybe accidentally catch feelings.Like the first part, this is mostly just smut, but there's a little bit of story and some relationship development as well.
Relationships: Root/Sameen Shaw
Series: Shoot Vampire AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562674
Comments: 28
Kudos: 191





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I said at the beginning of the last part of this that it was slightly kinkier than what I usually write. Well, this one is slightly kinkier than that one. 
> 
> La petite mort means 'the little death' in French and is a euphemism for an orgasm. It's also an amazing pun since Shaw is a smol undead. I think I'm hilarious.
> 
> A big thank you to [LeeMac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMac) for helping me brainstorm and flesh out some very fun parts of the second chapter!
> 
> Content warning (spread over both chapters): typical shoot levels of rough sex, strap-ons, bondage, rope bondage, spanking, sexy vampire biting stuff

In preparation for Root's upcoming visit, Shaw had made some vague attempts to clean her castle. It wasn't cluttered or messy so much as full of unused rooms collecting dust. But she got bored after dusting one table in the first room she tried and decided that was good enough. She'd made an effort.

She knew that her cleaning spree (attempted cleaning spree) might be considered fussing over things for Root, but she'd decided to think of it instead as much needed spring cleaning. In November. And without much actual cleaning.

There were some things she actually fixed up though. One of the main changes she made was cleaning up the spare bedroom that she'd started thinking of as Root's room (the bed headboard had to be replaced completely). Root had stayed in it for the majority of her first visit and even if they ended up in a situation where Root needed some awkward post-sex sleep-cuddling again, it was still nice to have the second room there for the rest of the time. Root was her guest, not her...person who shared a bed with her regularly.

The worst part was that once she'd finished 'cleaning' the castle, she was left with nothing else to do but sit around and wait. Two days until Root showed up (there'd been a phone call that had started off as an update on Root's return visit and ended up as phone sex) and it felt like an eternity. She started avoiding her own kitchen because she kept getting turned on every time she saw the counter and remembered bending Root over it.

She actually considered running to the next town over to fuck the guy she had a long-standing acquaintances-with-benefits deal going with, but the fact he didn't know she was a vampire and that she'd recently spent several days fucking someone who very much had known made it less appealing. It had been nice not to have to hide it and to not need the annoying fake teeth caps she fit over her fangs to avoid giving herself away to humans during sex.

Instead, she ended up getting herself off a lot more frequently than usual. It didn't help much, and she spitefully hoped that Root was having the same dilemma that she was.

When the day Root's plane was due to land finally came, Shaw was tempted to teleport to the airport to meet her. She talked herself out of it on the grounds than she'd seem way too eager (even if she was) and that Root would tease her. Also there was the whole annoying sunlight thing. Instead, she sat by the fireplace in her library and failed to read the same page of a book for three hours.

She was out of her seat in a flash when she heard the distant roar of a motorcycle on the road up (a different bike from the sounds of it. Did Root just steal a new one each time she went somewhere?), but she made herself count to ten before she answered the doorbell.

Root looked fantastic much to Shaw's delight and disgust. Her hair was way too perfect for having gotten off a long flight, her leather jacket and tight black jeans suited her far better than the ridiculous dress she'd shown up in last time, and the soft-looking grey shirt she had on had a high neck that almost completely covered the fading bite marks on her neck, but left them peeking out a tiny bit. Shaw tried not to stare at them and failed. She hadn't thought she could get any hornier but man had she been so very wrong.

"Did you miss me?" Root asked with a shit-eating grin. She took off the ridiculous aviator sunglasses she had on (it was overcast!) and tucked them away in a pocket. "Wanna put those arms of yours to good use?"

Shaw was about to show her just how she wanted to put her arms to good use, but then Root motioned at the bag by her feet and dashed those plans.

"Yeah." Shaw moved on auto pilot to scoop up the bag and carry it into the entrance hall. She had to turn her back on Root to do so, but she could feel her behind her like a beacon.

She dropped Root's bag on the floor, turned and reached past her to slam the door, and then backed Root up against the shut door to kiss the smirk off her stupid face. It was mostly an accident that she nicked Root's lip, but definitely very purposeful when she yanked Root's jeans open and down just a little so she could stick her hand into her underwear.

Root gasped and let out a guttural moan that was very obviously exaggerated but still had way too much of an effect on Shaw and Shaw was about half a second from going down on her right up against her front door when Root ruined her plans by fumbling with Shaw's belt.

Root hadn't been in the house ten minutes yet and here they were rutting up against each other still mostly dressed like there weren't five bedrooms in the castle. Shaw thought maybe it was a good thing she hadn't gone to the airport because they probably would have gotten arrested for doing this in the terminal.

Her fingers were drenched from how fucking wet Root had gotten and she was pretty sure she was just as wet between Root's skilled fingers circling her clit and the way Root kept whimpering in her ear every time Shaw dragged her fingers across just the right spot.

Shaw's spare hand was busy refamiliarizing itself with Root's butt so she resorted to nudging Root's hair and shirt collar out of the way with her nose to gain access to her throat. She ran her tongue over the healing bite marks and just the memory of biting Root almost pushed her over the edge.

"Do it," Root ordered between panting breaths, and her hand pressed on the back of Shaw's head to encourage her. Shaw hadn't been planning to bite Root here, but she hadn't been planning to fuck her here either so she didn't need much encouragement.

Her fangs sank into Root's neck just above the old bite and she groaned with relief at the feeling of it. Root's blood flooded into her mouth and she wondered how she'd managed to survive the last week without this. It should have been a mess because Root's hair was all over the place and Root smelled like airplane and neither of them was doing a great job of keeping their balance steady, but it was somehow still exactly what Shaw had been craving. She felt Root clenching hard around her fingers even as she lost control herself and both of them collapsed against the door in a sweaty heap.

"I guess you did miss me," Root murmured as she'd recovered.

Shaw licked the new bite mark one last time and then straightened up and eased her hand out of Root's pants. When Root didn't make any effort to return the courtesy, Shaw pulled Root's hand free and buckled up her belt. "Let me get your bag upstairs for you."

Root was still leaning heavily against the door with her hair in disarray and her pants shoved partway down her thighs and looking so fucking pleased with herself. She smirked at Shaw and then slid her own wet fingers into her mouth.

Shaw engaged every single ounce of self-control she'd learned over the years and quickly turned away and grabbed Root's bag. "This way."

She didn't wait to see if Root followed her, but she didn't have to since she could still hear every tiny little noise coming from her, from the wet sounds of her sucking on her fingers, to the hammering of her heart. She heard exactly when Root pushed off the door, pulled her pants up, and set off after her.

"I see you've upgraded," Root said when they got to the guest room.

Shaw looked at the new headboard she'd gotten for the bed, which was a lot stronger than the old one and would still not hold up for even a second if she really strained against it. Maybe she should have bought several just in case.

She put Root's bag on the floor by the bed. "Did you eat yet?"

"I could eat." The little eyebrow waggle and the way Root's eyes darted down Shaw's body made her meaning inescapably clear.

"I have food," Shaw said, ignoring the invitation. She was tempted but she also felt the need to establish that she had _some_ self-control. "I could make you something if you wanted."

Root finally stopped with the eye-molestation. "No, I'm fine for now, though I could use a shower. A quick shower."

Shaw had rapidly gone from firm resistance to innuendo, to disappointment that she wouldn't get to cook, to fantasizing about shower sex, and back to disappointment, but she tried not to let it show on her face.

"I left towels in the bathroom."

Maybe they could have shower sex later.

She wasn't sure what to do with herself while Root took her shower (other than trying and failing to avoid listening in). She wasn't used to having anyone else staying with her and everything she normally would have done by herself felt suddenly awkward. She seriously considered going to cook anyway just to have something to do with her hands.

She was still trying to figure out what to do when she heard the water turn off. She retreated to the hall so it wouldn't seem like she'd been hovering and suffered through the various sounds of Root drying off and getting dressed. Root joined her in the hall a few minutes later, still toweling her hair dry. She'd swapped the grey shirt out for a blue one with a neck low enough that Shaw thought she could see hints of the bite mark she'd left near the top of her breast if she stared down her shirt a bit. She wondered if Root was doing this deliberately.

"How about giving me the grand tour?" Root asked as she rubbed at her hair.

"The what?"

"Well, I barely saw any of the place last time I was here other than three bedrooms and the kitchen, so I was hoping to see the rest."

"Oh, right." Shaw hadn't prepared for this at all and she was now rapidly trying to remember what state all the other rooms were in. None of them were messy or anything, but all that dust that she hadn't bothered to deal with was definitely a factor. "Uh, so on the first floor there's the kitchen, the dining room, a sitting room, and the library, and then on the second floor there's--"

"A library? Can I see it?"

"This way," Shaw said with relief. The library was a safe bet.

The main doors to the library she usually left closed, preferring to go in from the side door through her little sitting room.

"This is nice," Root said as she looked over the deep leather armchair in front of the fireplace that Shaw spent all her reading time in. "Very cozy."

"I moved here to catch up on my reading, so I made sure I had a nice place to read."

"Catch up on your reading?" There was a hint of amusement in Root's voice.

"You spend a couple lifetimes out in the world and you need a break eventually," Shaw said a little defensively. "I moved here to take a few decades away from all the noise and get some reading done."

Root ran her hand along the back of the chair. "I can understand the appeal of cutting off the rest of the world."

"I mean, I still have tv and internet and stuff, but it's quieter here."

"Sounds nice. For a little while anyway."

"I do get bored sometimes," Shaw agreed.

Root laughed softly. "I noticed."

The wood door on the other side of the sitting room led into the first floor of the library. Shaw flipped the light switch on and allowed herself a small burst of satisfaction at Root's expression. The library was two floors high with beautiful dark wood shelves lining the walls and a balcony around the second floor. She'd put a lot of time and effort into it and she was proud to finally be able to show it off to someone.

"Have you read all of these?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it." Reading progress had slowed down noticeably since she'd met Root.

"Are they all fancy first editions and rare printings?"

"No, I try to find ones that have nice covers, but most of these are really common. I'm not some stuffy old book collector. I went for books I wanted to read."

Root browsed one of the closest shelves. "That's very practical of you," she said approvingly. She glanced back over her shoulder. "Is it okay if I borrow some while I'm here?"

"It's fine." Shaw was starting to realize how little she'd thought through this whole visit. Root had said she could take a couple weeks off but then suggested she only stay with Shaw for one 'to start with anyway', and, at the time, Shaw had been a little confused as to her hesitation to stay longer, but now she thought she understood. She hadn't really thought about what they'd do besides having sex on every surface in the castle.

Root spun back around to face her. "Do you have a dungeon?"

"Uh, sort of."

"Show me."

Shaw was deeply amused by the look of disappointment on Root's face as she looked around the 'dungeon'. The basement floor of the castle was a large, well-lit space that was primarily full of workout equipment that Shaw didn't actually need but still enjoyed using. There was a large TV screen on one wall so she could watch something while she worked out, and a decided lack of things like manacles, cells, and torture devices. Root looked heart-broken.

The one dungeon-y aspect of the space was the collection of weaponry lining the walls. Swords, axes, and polearms hung everywhere. There were way more down here than there had been a week ago since Shaw had had to clear out space in the fridge for food.

"Were you expecting an iron maiden?" Shaw asked.

"I had a slightly different type of dungeon in mind actually."

Shaw snorted. "I don't have enough house guests to merit that."

"How many have you had?" The question seemed innocent enough, but Shaw still eyed her suspiciously.

"I don't like visitors in general."

It was an evasion, but Root must have drawn her own conclusions from that because she looked way too pleased.

"Are you sure you don't need food?" Shaw asked as she led the way back upstairs.

"I ate on the plane. Not very good food, but enough."

"Ah."

Root looked sideways at her. "Why? Did you have something planned?"

"Just trying to be sensitive to how needy humans are," Shaw grumbled. So maybe she'd gone and tried to relearn all the cooking skills she'd had ages ago in the last week and had been looking forward to showing off a little. It didn't matter. Eventually Root would get hungry.

"What about you?" Root asked.

"Huh? I don't eat."

"But you need blood."

"I fed from a donor yesterday. That's enough for a few days."

Shaw wasn't sure if she was imagining it but she thought that Root looked disappointed now. Had she wanted Shaw to…? Well, _that_ was an interesting idea for another day.

She came to a halt at the foot of the stairs up. "The upper floors are mostly bedrooms and there's a sitting room I haven't been in for forever and some storage." The only time she'd been in the sitting room recently was last year when the roomba had ninja'd its way in and gotten stuck under a couch.

She'd hoped that her brief dismissive description would be enough, but no, Root had to go look in every single room on both floors. Fortunately, most of them were full of unused furniture, some of it under dust covers, and Root quickly lost interest.

"What about the tower?"

"What about it? It's a tower."

She should have known that she couldn't get out of it that easily and sure enough she was soon leading Root up the curved stairwell to the tower. Originally the tower had been open to the outside all the way around, but Shaw had installed thick glass windows to enclose it properly and even added a chair with the idea she might come up here and read sometimes on days when it was cloudy enough to be safe for her. And then she'd never once used it.

"I love what you've neglected to do with the place."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "Are we done now? Wait, don't--"

But Root had already pushed open one of the windows, letting in a strong blast of frigid air. She went from smug to shivering in the split second it took Shaw to cross the room and slam the window shut again.

"We're on top of a mountain in the middle of the winter. What did you think was going to happen?"

"I didn't realize how much windier it was up here."

Root looked kind of pathetic, all frozen with her hair still wet. Humans and their inability to regulate their own body temperatures were a pain in Shaw's ass.

She suddenly had an idea. "Let's go back downstairs."

* * *

Root had expected this to be awkward, and, while it was, it was still going better than she'd imagined. She'd never physically missed someone the way she'd missed Shaw's touch in the last week, and it felt like every night she'd ended up with one hand between her legs and the other bruising one of her healing bite marks. The fact Shaw had jumped her right in the entryway had been a little unexpected (though it probably shouldn't have been now that she thought about it), but she felt like she was on even footing with Shaw again.

Clearly _both_ of them were just ridiculously horny for each other. Good to know.

The 'tour' of the castle gave her almost no new information about Shaw, though that in itself did tell her some things. It was evident that Shaw cared about a very few select things when it came to decorating the spaces she used and had no interest in anything else. Root was willing to bet good money that the majority of the rooms in the castle had either been pre-furnished or that Shaw had hired someone to furnish them for her. The rooms she actually used all shared the same minimalistic practicality that matched Shaw perfectly. Even the library, while gorgeous, didn't have anything gaudy or extra to decorate it.

Shaw's bedroom was similarly plain and functional which made it easy to see the new addition immediately. Root's eyes locked on the eye bolt mounted in the ceiling above the bed. They'd discussed some...possibilities during that phone call they'd had (which had led directly to the best phone sex she'd ever had) so Root had a good idea what it might be there for and those were definitely nice thoughts that she wanted to see brought to life sooner rather than later. She was so focused on thinking about the possibilities that she didn't notice Shaw had stopped until she walked right into her.

Shaw followed her line of sight and smirked. "Maybe later." She pulled her shirt off over her head and chucked it in the general direction of the bed. "I want a redo on your shower first."

"Sounds nice," Root said though she'd barely heard what Shaw had said because even her most vivid fantasies about Shaw's abs in the last week hadn't done them justice. She blinked and tore her eyes away. "What'd you have in mind?"

She hadn't gotten to use Shaw's shower last time she'd stayed here and she was instantly jealous when she saw it. Shaw's entire bathroom was more like a suite with a huge jacuzzi tub (that Root definitely wanted to fuck in at some point during the week), and a shower that took up an entire room of its own. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all tiled, and there was a large raised ledge built along the length of one wall, a few feet wide and about the height of a chair--presumably so one could sit while showering.

"Lose the clothes," Shaw told her before she vanished back into the bedroom.

Root thought about not listening just to see what Shaw would do, but Shaw's abs had been inspiring enough that she didn't want to distract too much from whatever she had planned. Her clothes got folded on the counter by the tub and she ducked into the shower room to take advantage of the heat that was rising from the water.

Shaw looked her over when she returned, her gaze lingering on each bite mark. She'd stripped as well and Root took the opportunity to fully appreciate every inch of her.

She was busy enough staring at Shaw, that it took her a second to notice that Shaw was holding something. Before she could make out what it was, Shaw spun her around and pressed her up against the wall.

They were out of the water still but the tiles were a little slippery and Root might have fallen if Shaw hadn't been holding her up with her body.

"Aren't you going to get me wet, Shaw?" she teased. The side of her face was pressed against the tiles in a way that was uncomfortable, but also thrilling. Shaw was probably strong enough to push her right through the wall. The only problem with this position was that she couldn't see Shaw's arms flexing to hold her in place.

"Oh, you're going to get wet." Shaw's hand dipped between her legs from behind and she fingered her roughly. It felt good and exciting and made Root want to press into Shaw's fingers more, but Shaw looped an arm like a steel rod around her stomach and held her firmly in place. Well, that was no fun of her.

She could feel whatever it was Shaw was holding now pressed against her side, but she couldn't identify it. Probably not silicone and definitely not sharp, but there wasn't enough to go on.

The heat from the shower had finally chased away the chill she'd gotten in the tower and Root relaxed into the wall, letting the sound of the water and the movement of Shaw's fingers wash over her. This was a nice way to end a day she'd mostly spent on airplanes (though she suspected it was far from over).

Shaw was extremely efficient with her fingers and Root could feel her second orgasm of the day (of the last hour actually) approaching and--

Shaw stopped and stepped back.

"What--" There was a hand on the small of her back keeping her from turning around.

"Hands behind your back."

Root thought about getting herself off really quickly instead, but she bit down on her lip and tried to get her desperate body back under her control. She put her hands behind her back, realizing as she did exactly what Shaw had been holding.

The cuffs Shaw fastened around her wrists felt like leather (which probably weren't supposed to be used in the shower, but hey they weren't her cuffs), and had almost no slack between them.

Shaw tugged on them. "Not too tight?"

"They're fine."

"Good." Shaw slapped her ass once, hard, and the sound of it echoed in the tiled room. Root leaned harder against the wall and tried to remember to breath. Was Shaw going to spank her against the wall? It sounded great in theory, but she was pretty sure she'd slip and fall eventually.

Apparently that wasn't the plan though because Shaw finally let her go and moved away from the wall. Root turned around and watched Shaw step under the shower, drops of water running down her perfect form. She definitely could stand to lick them off of Shaw if that was where this was headed.

Shaw fiddled with the temperature knob for a few minutes and then finally nodded in satisfaction. She went and sat down on the wide ledge. The ledge was positioned horizontally to the stream of shower water so that only Shaw's legs were in the water. She motioned Root over and Root suddenly had an idea of where this was going and was half-excited and half-frustrated because it meant she wasn't going to get off anytime soon.

She sucked in a breath when the water hit her because it was ever so slightly too hot. The smirk on Shaw's face suggested that she'd known that would be the case. Root stopped in front of where Shaw was sitting, the hot water scorching her side and back.

"Kneel."

The one word hit Root like a tidal wave and made her whole body tingle all over. She tried her best to drop to her knees without falling on the slippery floor and without her hands to catch her, but Shaw had to grab her arms and help her in the end. She smiled up at Shaw because it really was sweet the way she tried to be so tough and commanding and was still so cutely concerned. Shaw scowled like she knew exactly what she was thinking.

Shaw scooted forwards to the very edge of the ledge and tugged Root forwards by her hair, the request clear.

Root was only too happy to lean in and put her mouth on Shaw since that had featured prominently in a lot of her fantasies, but almost immediately she became aware of multiple problems. Not being able to use her hands was fine, she could manage even if it made balancing a little precarious, but the tiles under her knees were rapidly becoming uncomfortable and were slippery enough that she could feel herself sliding. Shaw's hand in her hair kept her head in place but also meant her hair got jerked roughly every time one of her knees started to slip.

She did her best though, licking through Shaw's folds a few times before sucking her clit into her mouth. Drops of water from the shower rolled down her face from time to time and Shaw brushed one away with her thumb, a surprisingly gentle gesture that made Root ache for her touch even more.

"Let me know if you need something to kneel on," Shaw offered in a strained voice the third time Root almost slipped.

Root pulled back. "Now you offer?"

Shaw failed to look remorseful. "Well, you didn't ask."

They'd briefly covered discomfort scenarios in previous discussions when Root had last been here, so Shaw knew she was game, but man the tiles were really aggravating.

She leaned back in anyway. The best solution here was to get Shaw off quickly.

Shaw's fingers tightened and loosened in Root's hair as Root drove her closer and closer to the edge. Root's knee slipped again and her hair pulled against Shaw's grip hard enough to make her eyes water. The whole thing was frustrating and difficult but oh so worth it for the way Shaw's body reacted to her touch. Root wasn't sure she'd ever been this turned on in her life. She wondered if Shaw had planned this out ahead of time or if she'd only come up with it in the tower.

Shaw's moan as she came echoed through the shower and then her grip on Root's hair vanished. Root sat back and awkwardly leaned to one side so she could sit on the floor instead of her legs. She watched the bliss on Shaw's face with rapt attention until Shaw slumped and looked back down at her with half-shut eyes.

"God, you're good with your tongue," Shaw murmured just loud enough to be heard over the water.

Root preened at the compliment and then switched to sad eyes because this had been fun but she was ready to have control of her hands back and not be on the tile floor any longer.

"Let me help with that." Shaw was up and kneeling behind her almost too quickly for Root to see. The cuffs were released and Root brought her arms back forward, stretching them out. She let Shaw help her to her feet and winced as she straightened her knees out. They were going to be bruised tomorrow.

Shaw was watching her with that little expression where she was trying not to look concerned. It was very sweet and cute and made Root decide that she wasn't done here until she thanked Shaw properly. She pushed Shaw back against the wall below the shower head. Shaw absolutely could have stopped her, but she seemed fine with playing along and soon Root was two fingers deep in her and thrusting hard as the water ran over them both. The second orgasm came quickly and Root was ready to try for a third when Shaw batted her hand away.

"Fuck," Shaw groaned. "I really fucking missed this." She clamped her mouth shut and looked like she regretted the admission.

Root leaned in and kissed her, deep and messy so Shaw could get a good taste of herself. "Me, too. Now will you fuck me already?"

Shaw fumbled next to them for the handle to switch the water off. "Yeah, bed?"

Bed sounded good. Her knees still hurt and she wanted to get her weight off her legs.

"Dry off first," Shaw added as they headed for the door.

There were plenty of thick, fuzzy towels placed right outside the door to the shower and Root wondered if Shaw had put them there anticipating she'd need one to kneel on. She was a little proud that she hadn't.

"Do you actually own a hairdryer?" she asked as she toweled herself off.

"They're too loud," Shaw said. "Having great hearing isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes." She hesitated, mid-drying-her-arm. "I can get you one later?"

"I'll probably go down to the village sometime tomorrow. I can find one then." Shaw's earnest attempts to be a good host were endearing (and unusual, she suspected), but it wasn't like Root couldn't afford a hairdryer.

Shaw nodded. "Just don't use it in the same room as me."

They both headed back out into the bedroom after they were dry (Root's hair was still wet and Shaw had pulled hers back again, still damp).

"Anything in particular you had in mind?" Shaw asked.

Root sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh of relief and rubbed her knees. It didn't take much thought to come up with what she wanted.

"I want you to fuck me. Hard." She was happy to leave the details up to Shaw for the moment as long as whatever it was didn't involve her knees again. Right now what she needed was Shaw to take her so thoroughly that she could forget everything outside the castle walls for the duration. It felt like the proper way to kick off a vacation.

Shaw nodded. "Yeah, I can do that." She paused by the bed. "Your knees okay?"

Root was coming to enjoy cutely-concerned Shaw even more than madly-sexy Shaw. Or maybe it was a tie. "I'd tell you if they weren't."

That seemed to satisfy Shaw. She bent down (much to Root's delight) to rummage in a drawer of her dresser and Root drew in a breath of anticipation at the sight of a strap-on harness. She nodded eagerly when Shaw held up the harness and a blue, ridged dildo and raised an eyebrow in question.

It was almost funny, she thought as she scooted up on the bed to lie back on the pillows, that she'd thought they might ease into things the first day here. She was definitely glad they hadn't though. So far this had been way more fun than she'd been vividly imagining on the plane.

She touched herself a bit while she watched Shaw get ready. She was definitely no longer nearly as strung out as she'd been when Shaw had left her hanging in the shower, but she could feel herself getting very wet again under her fingers at the sight of Shaw slicking the dildo with lube.

Shaw crawled across the bed towards her, the muscles in her back and shoulders rippling under her skin. Root spread her legs a little wider to make space for her and let Shaw's fingers join her own between her legs. Their fingers bumped together as they both stroked her.

"Ready?"

"Since I walked in the front door."

Shaw rolled her eyes and repositioned a bit and Root propped herself up on her elbows so she could watch as Shaw pushed into her slowly. She only went in a little ways, but enough to pull an appreciative moan out of Root. God did she need this.

Shaw pulled out again, almost all the way, and then thrust forwards with more force. Root's head fell back, neck bared to the ceiling. Goddamn it felt good to have Shaw inside her like this again. How the hell was she going to cope when she had to leave again?

Shaw rolled her hips gently against her a few times and Root wrapped her legs around her and caught her eyes.

"I said hard," she said.

Shaw's eyes were huge and dark as she nodded. "Yeah, okay." She sounded a little hoarse.

Shaw still started a little slow, gradually getting faster. She grabbed one of Root's hips so she could really slam into her as they worked out a rhythm between them. Root circled her arms around Shaw's shoulders and clawed at her back and Shaw hissed appreciatively and fucked her even harder.

She tried to meet Shaw's eyes, but Shaw was staring at her neck like it was a porn magazine (which maybe it was for her). Root considered her options. She felt so deliciously full with the thickness of the strap-on pumping into her and yeah she could definitely stand to have Shaw's fangs in her as well. Twice in one day now.

"You can...oh fuck, you can bite me, Shaw."

She thought she could actually see Shaw's eyes darken more, and Shaw's lips drew back enough that she got a glimpse of fangs that made her body shiver and clench.

"Give me your wrist," Shaw ordered, never slowing down even a little bit.

The angle was a little awkward and left Root's arm bent oddly, but it was well worth it to get to watch how Shaw's mouth closed around her wrist the second before her fangs pierced her skin.

The pain was still as intense as it had been the first time, but it just felt so fucking good in concert with the building pleasure running through her body. Shaw's eyes were shut, her face almost rapturous and peaceful and something about the sight of her pushed Root over the edge unexpectedly, her body spasming hard around Shaw.

Shaw slowed down a little but didn't stop and Root wriggled under her, still sensitive but not ready to have Shaw pull out yet either. She was a little disappointed to find that Shaw had released her wrist at some point. It took a minute or two for everything to start feeling good--really good--again, helped along by Shaw sliding a hand down between them to touch her clit.

"How's your vacation going so far?" Shaw asked in a strained voice with just a hint of humor.

"Fuck," was all Root managed to get out in return, the witty comeback she'd thought of driven out of her mind almost the second it had formed. Shaw's hips slapped against her with every thrust and she was dimly aware she was making a high-pitched moan as each stroke pushed her further.

"Sounds about right," Shaw said and she was definitely smirking like an asshole now.

Root got just enough control over herself to slap Shaw hard across the ass which in turn made Shaw drive into her harder and Root's legs locked around her as she tipped over the edge a second time.

She thought Shaw might have come somewhere in all of that, too, but she wasn't in any state to be sure. She collapsed back limply onto the bed and only managed the slightest whimper when Shaw finally pulled out of her.

She heard the strap-on hitting the floor and then Shaw was back hovering over her, checking her wrist with that adorable bit of concern again. She tugged on Shaw's arm, trying to pull her down. Shaw looked wary and Root could see her debating in her head, but then she gave in and let Root pull her down to lie on top of her. Root sighed in contentment and buried her face in Shaw's neck.

She was definitely going to be really damn sore tomorrow but it was very worth it. Right now she wanted to enjoy the smell of Shaw's sweat and the echoes of Shaw's movements deep inside her that she could still feel.

"I'm cooking now," Shaw said after a few minutes, her voice rumbling through Root's chest where they were touching. She sounded defiant.

"I'm not sure I can walk yet."

"Well, I'm not carrying you down two flights of stairs."

"I guess I'll miss out on you showing off your culinary prowess then." Because she'd drawn the conclusion that that had to be why Shaw kept bringing it up.

Shaw was silent for a moment, possibly locked in some internal debate and Root congratulated herself for getting that one right.

"You've got vampire strength," she pointed out. "It's not like it's hard for you, right?" She very much liked the idea of being carried in Shaw's strong arms.

"Ugh. Fine."

Root didn't bother to hide her victorious smile. What a great day it had turned out to be.

* * *

The second day of Root's visit they deemed a recovery day, which meant that there was still sex, but spread out over the day and not nearly as rough. Shaw wasn't usually into gentle shit--it was a little too close to a type of intimacy that she wasn't comfortable with--but, she thought as she slowly licked a hot line through Root's dripping folds, maybe it didn't have to go that way.

Root was sprawled out on her back across Shaw's bed, propped up a little bit on pillows so she could get a good view of what Shaw was up to between her legs. And Shaw had been down there a while, to the point that even _her_ jaw had started to hurt, which was a new experience (or possibly a very old one). But everything was slow and lazy and nicely messy and she was having a great time keeping Root turned on but nowhere near coming while Root relaxed and played with Shaw's hair and enjoyed being pampered.

"Are all vampires like you?" Root asked. Her nails scratched lightly at Shaw's scalp.

Shaw disengaged her mouth and wiped her face off with the back of her hand. Damn was Root wet; Shaw's whole lower face felt soaked.

"Like me how?" she asked, guarded.

"Hmm, all sexily stoic and controlled? Except when you're not, I mean."

Shaw leaned back down and licked over Root's clit slowly once as she considered her answer. Root's body shivered around her and her fingers tightened in Shaw's hair.

"Getting turned doesn't change that much. Stuff like mannerisms and...personality, all that stays the same. I'm the same person I always was and most of that has nothing to do with being a vampire." She shifted her position so she could slide her tongue into Root while she searched for more words.

"There's stuff that some vampires get after they've been around a really long time," she said after she surfaced. "Like more of a disconnect from humanity, but for me--" She tilted her head to one side and stared between Root's legs like the answers were hidden there. "--what I do and what I feel and what I don't do and don't feel, all that's just me. Who I've always been."

Root tugged on her hair more meaningfully and Shaw raised her head to finally meet her eyes. She waited, far more tense than she'd realized she'd gotten. Root studied her for a few seconds and then reached down and wiped some of her own arousal off Shaw's face with one thumb. Shaw's attention shifted to laser focus on the thumb as Root brought it back up and sucked it into her mouth. After a few seconds of some fairly obscene noises, Root popped it out of her mouth again and returned her hand to Shaw's hair.

"Who you've always been gives really good head," she mused.

Shaw rolled her eyes and relaxed. "Perv."

"Takes one to know one." She pushed down on Shaw's head pointedly. "Back to work."

Shaw gratefully dived back in and for a while everything was peaceful, the silence only broken by Root's soft sighs and the wet sounds Shaw was making between her legs.

She felt Root twist slightly, dislodging her momentarily, and she started to raise her head to see what Root was up to. The hand on her head pushed her firmly back into place.

"Stay focused on your task, Shaw."

Fine, Shaw could play along. Maybe Root had grabbed something exciting from the nightstand, though Shaw couldn't think of anything she'd left there that might be useful right now, but minutes ticked by and nothing happened.

There was a slight rustling sound, like a--

Shaw's head jerked up, easily thwarting Root's attempt to stop her.

"You're reading a book?!?" She wasn't sure she'd ever been this insulted in her life. Her eyes fell on the book in Root's hand and a shock ran through her like a current.

"Root, no!" She lunged up to tear the book out of Root's hands but Root held it up over her head out of reach and wrapped her legs around Shaw to hold her in place. Shaw glared. She could overpower Root with ease, but she might hurt her and this wasn't worth that no matter how aggravated she was.

"Where did you get that?" she asked quietly.

"You left it lying around where anyone could have stumbled on it," Root said innocently.

"At the bottom of a drawer under several other things."

"That's what I said."

Shaw's eyes narrowed.

"I don't see why it's a big deal, Sameen. When I found it I expected it to be full of all sorts of erotic sketches given your hobbies, but it's definitely not that, is it?"

"It's private."

Root shrugged as if she'd heard of privacy once and decided it was silly. "You're really quite a good artist, you know. These sketches are incredible."

Shaw kept glaring, only slightly mollified and unwilling to show any of it.

"But I mean, Shaw, you have several...hundred gorgeous sketches in here, so I don't understand why you don't just get one yourself."

"Get one what?"

"A dog, Shaw." Root flipped the book upside down so Shaw could see her own drawings, which yes did all seem to feature various dogs doing lots of cool dog things.

"A dog?" she echoed. "What do you mean?"

Root lowered the book and looked at her with exasperation. "I'm asking why you don't get yourself a dog. Like a pet."

Shaw stared at her, completely bewildered. It had never occurred to her that owning a dog of her very own was even an option. "I...I don't know. I never really thought about it, I guess?"

A hint of fond amusement slipped into Root's expression and Shaw tried to squirm down the bed away from it.

"Can I just finish making you come now?"

Root still looked amused but she loosened her legs around Shaw so she could continue.

"And put that _down_." Shaw ordered.

Root placed the book on the nightstand and held up her empty hands. "All gone."

"Good."

Shaw dove back in and the time for being all slow and gentle was now officially over. She sucked Root's clit into her mouth and teased her with two fingers before pushing in deep. Root's hips bucked into her mouth when she curled her fingers and jesus Root was so wet and open that Shaw could probably just….

She pulled out enough to add a third finger and took great satisfaction at the desperate moan that pulled from Root and the way her whole body seemed to be trying to press into Shaw. It didn't take much more, a few curls of her fingers and a flick of her tongue, and Root was smothering Shaw as her thighs tightened around Shaw's head and she pulled Shaw's face against her to ride out her orgasm.

Root fell back on the bed, panting, and Shaw crawled up her body to make sure Root got the full benefit of how messy her face was now.

A few sloppy kisses later, Root broke things off.

"Sorry about looking in your secret dog sketch book, sweetie." She didn't sound even a little sorry. "If it helps you're free to spank me later for it."

"Hmph. We'll see."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer:  
> 1) do not do bondage-y things without knowing what you're doing. people can get hurt  
> 2) do not use fics as how-to guides. i mean, that goes for almost any topic, but especially for anything where someone can get hurt if it's done incorrectly.

"Wake up."

Root pulled the blankets over her head and tried to ignore the fact someone was shaking her shoulder.

"Will you wake up already?"

The shaking got more insistent and Root burrowed deeper into the covers. Then the rude assault broke off completely and Root started to drift back happily towards sleep.

The blankets stirred again, only this time they were moving and pulling Root with them. There was a brief panicked moment where she was falling and then she landed on the floor with a thud. She struggled to untangle herself and groped around for the nightstand drawer where her taser was. Someone was going to pay for this.

A hand closed around her wrist and another around her opposite arm and she was lifted to her feet to look straight into the face of a far-too-wide-awake Shaw.

"Are you awake now?" Shaw asked.

"No."

"Too bad. Come on." Shaw tightened her grip on Root's arm and steered her towards the door.

Root tried to protest and pull away, but Shaw's hand was too strong to escape. That would have been thrilling in other circumstances, but right now Root only cared about being warm and comfortable and asleep and none of those things were currently happening.

"Why?" she asked crankily.

"Something you need to see."

Root sadly followed her up the stairs. "Is this because I looked at your dog pictures?"

"What? No."

"Is it because I broke more of your dishes?" Though that had been equally Shaw's fault for deciding to fuck her on the table before cleaning up.

"No."

"Is it because I stole your--"

"No! You didn't do anything." Shaw paused. "Wait, what did you steal?"

Root smirked, enjoying a bit of petty revenge.

"Just trust me, okay?"

She had to go and put it that way. Root sighed and stopped making Shaw drag her along.

"The tower, really?" she asked when they reached the foot of the last staircase up. Not only was she awake at some terrible hour, but she was being forced to climb every staircase in the castle. This was just plain cruel.

Shaw didn't slow down though and Root only dragged her feet a little following her up.

The top of the tower was softly illuminated by the still-rising sun filtering a tiny bit of light through the thick, grey clouds. It was hard to tell exactly what time it was based on that, but definitely too early to be awake.

"Look." Shaw went over to one of the windows and pressed her hand to the glass.

Root shuffled over next to her and looked out. The view from the top of the tower was breath-taking as always. Mountains and forests sprawled out in all directions, and the tiny village below glowed with hundreds of tiny lights. It was a little harder to make out the lights of the village this morning though, because….

"Snow," Root said. Millions of fluffy flakes were falling and slowly covering everything in a white blanket.

"The first half hour it's falling is always the best," Shaw said next to her. "Getting to watch it cover everything up bit by bit. It's my favorite part." She glanced sideways at Root. "I thought you should get to see it since you're here. Everything will be covered soon, so…."

Shaw had a strange expression on her face that Root thought might have been something like nervousness and she found herself instantly forgiving Shaw for waking her up and dragging her up stairs and probably for the next ten horrible things she did as well.

"It's lovely," she said. And it really was. "I'm glad you woke me up to see it."

Shaw's lips twitched. "Really? Because I got the impression you were a little mad about that."

"I would be thrilled if you promised never to wake me up at this hour again, but…." Root looked out at the snow gathering on the evergreens below the castle walls and then back at Shaw and the expression on her face as she watched the snowflakes. "I'm glad you did just this once."

They stood and watched the snow slowly build up in silence. Root wasn't even aware of how cold she'd gotten until her teeth started chattering. She turned to find Shaw had vanished without a trace, and then, seconds later Shaw reappeared at the top of the stairs. She tossed the black bundle in her arms at Root, and Root managed to catch it. It was a hooded sweatshirt, thick and still warm from wherever Shaw had gotten it from. Root pulled it on over her head and breathed in the scent of Shaw on it.

"It's supposed to snow all day," Shaw said, back at the windows. "Maybe through the night as well."

"Will we be snowed in?"

"Yeah, though that's not a huge problem for me. If we need anything I can get it, no problem."

"What about planes?" She was due to leave in two more days unless she decided to extend her visit here to two weeks, and, while she knew what she wanted to do, she wasn't sure where Shaw was at with everything. It had been nice so far. The sex had been great and they'd settled into something like a daily rhythm of spending time together and retreating to separate rooms.

"You should stay another week."

After all the effort it had taken to get Shaw to make herself invite Root here in the first place, Root had thought she was going to have to pry an answer out of Shaw again, but this time Shaw hadn't even hesitated.

"Okay." Root tried not to smile and failed miserably. She was definitely in a much better mood now, such a good mood that she wanted to do something nice for Shaw. Very nice.

She looked around the tower room, which was a little brighter than it had been, but not by much.

"How long can you stay out in this much light without a reaction?" she asked.

"Almost indefinitely. This much isn't an issue. Why?"

"Wait here."

She wasn't nearly as fast as Shaw when it came to retrieving things from downstairs, but she hurried as much as she could. When she climbed back up the stairs ten minutes later, she found that Shaw hadn't moved from the windows. Shaw raised an eyebrow when she saw what Root was carrying.

"Really? Up here?"

Root threw the bottle of lube to her so her own hands were free to get the strap-on harness set up. "Well, you did say you liked the snow."

Shaw grinned. "I guess I did."

Which is how Root ended up fucking Shaw up against the tower windows a few minutes later. Shaw had stripped down completely so her entire bare back was pressed against the glass. She was balancing herself on the tiny ledge under the window and one leg, her other leg wrapped around Root to keep her close.

Root had left Shaw's sweatshirt on (partly because it was cold, but mostly because she enjoyed the idea of fucking Shaw while wearing her clothes) but was otherwise naked. Her legs had goosebumps, but she barely noticed.

Shaw groaned loudly at each thrust, her hands locked around Root's hips to urge her on.

"Harder!"

It was all well and good that Shaw was a vampire making it damn near impossible for Root to hurt her no matter how hard she fucked her, but Root's legs were already shaking with the effort.

Still, she gave it her best shot and Shaw moaned in approval.

Behind Shaw's back she could see the snowflakes falling even faster now, hiding them from the world. There was still the distant hint of lights from the village below and she wondered if anyone down there was looking up here. They'd probably need binoculars to see them, but still, the idea of having the world watch as they fucked was very nice and she felt herself getting a little bit wetter just thinking about it. She hadn't worn a scarf on her trip down to the village the previous day and the bite marks on her neck had drawn a lot of curious looks and it had been electrifying having all those strangers seeing that proof of everything she and Shaw had done.

"Sameen?" she asked, slowing down just a little.

"What? Why are you stopping?"

"I was wondering if we could do that thing we'd talked about. Tonight."

"Is this really the time?" Shaw asked indignantly. Her leg tightened around Root more as she tried to urge her to pick up the pace.

"Sameen." Root pouted.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Root shifted her stance and changed the angle a bit before thrusting forwards with her hips again.

"Holy fuck!" Shaw's fingers spasmed against her hips.

Root grinned. She was definitely going to get an answer out of Shaw now. She picked up the pace again, slamming into Shaw hard.

"I was thinking we could do it tonight," she tried again between panting breaths. She was getting a hell of a workout at an hour she normally wasn't even awake at. She dropped a hand down to add some pressure to Shaw's clit and was rewarded with Shaw's eyes shutting as she slammed her head back into the glass behind her.

"Fuck, yes!"

Root grinned through the locks of sweaty hair around her face. "I knew you'd see it my way."

Shaw half-opened her eyes like she was about to disagree, but her orgasm overtook her right then with truly perfect timing for Root. Shaw's legs squeezed Root so tight she thought she might snap in half, but it was definitely worth it to watch Shaw falling apart up against the glass in the snowstorm.

Root waited until Shaw recovered and then pulled out and quickly shed the harness. "Think you can help me out here?" she asked, dipping her fingers between her own legs. She was so close but she really wanted Shaw's mouth on her.

Shaw watched her through half-shut eyes. "You really want to do this tonight?"

"I've been trying to get you to for days now." She started rubbing her clit with one finger since Shaw didn't look inclined to move.

Shaw's hand shot out and snatched her wrist. There was a look on her face that made Root's whole body shiver.

"Then you don't get off now. Or anytime during the day. And I'll know if you do because I'll hear you."

Root was impressed and outraged at the same time. "Sameen." It came out as a whine which just made Shaw smirk.

"No getting off until I say so. And also go take a nap. You're going to need it."

* * *

Shaw sat back to admire her handiwork. After Root had made an initial suggestion along these lines, Shaw had taken it upon herself to test everything out as best she could on her own and figure out all the little details.

She'd originally intended to put her plan into action much sooner in the week, but she'd noticed when the eye bolt she'd had mounted into the ceiling had caught Root's attention right off the bat and how obsessed with staring at it Root had been and well…. There was nothing quite like anticipation. So she'd kept putting it off each time Root brought it up. Two days ago she'd attached a chain to the bolt with a pair of cuffs hanging at the end. She was pretty sure Root had gotten wet just from seeing that.

But she'd still delayed and let Root get more and more frustrated until this morning when she'd finally decided to allow Root to think she'd won. And now….

Root was in an upright kneel on the bed, her arms bound up in front of her in leather cuffs. The chain that hung from the bolt in the ceiling was wrapped through the loops in her cuffs and the tail end was pulled back up and fastened to the main length of chain above her head with a carabiner for easy release. Originally they'd talked about having Root's arms pulled up higher, but with everything else that'd be going on Shaw hadn't wanted to risk circulation issues or Root collapsing her weight and wrenching an arm, so the cuffs were there to keep her hands controlled and just high enough that she couldn't interfere with the other part of the setup.

She'd added in a leather belt as well, wrapped around Root's chest just under her breasts to help keep her arms in place. She hadn't originally planned for that, but it had occurred to her while she'd been cuffing Root and the visual effect of it was very nice.

Next there was a soft rope that wrapped around Root's waist in a series of careful ties and then ran down between her legs in front, hugging her body, and back up between her butt cheeks and through a carabiner clipped to the rope at her waist. From there Shaw had pulled the tail of the rope down and looped it through the metal rings on the ankle cuffs she'd put on Root. The ankle cuffs weren't attached to anything, only there for anchoring the rope in a rather...useful way.

The most important part of the setup was the knot that had been tied in the rope right where it would brush against Root's clit whenever the tail of the rope was pulled.

And the final piece was a black blindfold that Shaw also hadn't planned for, but Root had kept leering at her while she'd tied her up and ruining Shaw's enthusiasm for carefully tying each knot absolutely perfectly and neatly. Shaw had finally blindfolded her to get her to knock it off and after, she'd decided she liked how it looked and left it on.

She hadn't gagged Root, though, not even to stop the smart-ass remarks and the terrible puns ("I'd give you a hand, Shaw, but I'm a bit tied up at the moment.") because she'd wanted her feedback on the tightness and placement of the ropes and also because there was no way in hell she wanted to miss out on all the choice noises she planned to draw out of her.

She walked around the bed, doing one final check to make sure everything looked set up correctly. Root stayed perfectly still, her breathing purposefully slow and controlled. Shaw could smell her excitement though and she also knew exactly why Root was putting so much effort into not moving.

Satisfied that everything was in order, she climbed up onto the bed (the hitch in Root's breathing was extremely evident to her sharp hearing) and knelt in front of Root.

"Okay so far?" she asked. She had possibly asked too many times at this point, but humans were so prone to breaking and it had been a while since she'd done something like this.

"Starting to get a little bored, actually." Root's voice was strained though.

Shaw snorted in amusement and slapped her hard on the side of her ass. Root rocked forwards with the blow and as the rope pulled against her ankles it made the knot between her legs brush back and forth over her clit which only made her squirm more and made the rope pull more.

Shaw watched with satisfaction as Root struggled to control her body and stay still. This was going to be fun.

"Just for that I'm going to get myself off first," Shaw said, as if that hadn't been her plan all along.

She sat up against the headboard and spread her legs. Root was missing out on a show. That's what she got for being a brat and making bad jokes.

Since getting herself off was far from the main attraction of the night, Shaw had brought along a small vibrator to speed things along. Root's entire body twitched at the sound of the vibrator turning on and Shaw saw her breathing heavily through her nose as she tried to stay still.

Seeing Root tied up and so desperate like that was great material for masturbating to and Shaw was sure to be louder and move around much more than she usually would have to make sure her captive audience got the most out of it. Root did well at first, barely moving a muscle. Shaw moaned loudly and watched as Root wet her lips and then worried her lower lip with her teeth.

Shaw got impatient. "Oh, fuck, _Root_."

Upon hearing her name as a throaty groan from Shaw, Root's resolve cracked and she shifted forwards as if to move closer to Shaw. The rope pulled again and Root whimpered and thrashed around for a minute, hands clutching the chains, before finally stopping. Her breath came out in pants and sweat ran down her sides.

Shaw came, much harder than she'd expected, just from watching her like that. She clicked off the vibrator and set it aside as she recovered.

"Well, that was nice," she said.

Root stayed silent. Shaw could smell how wet she was though and it had to be torture for her to be getting all that good friction and pressure right on her clit and not be allowed to come yet. Because Shaw definitely hadn't lifted the ban yet which meant Root was going to continue having a very frustrating time.

"What wasn't nice was that you moved when you weren't supposed to."

Root managed a feral grin. "Oops, how clumsy of me."

Shaw was glad Root was blindfolded so she couldn't see the amused smile that tugged on her lips.

"I guess you're going to have to punish me for that?" Root asked hopefully.

A strung-out mess and still toeing the line. Shaw was impressed.

"I guess I am."

She scooted around behind Root and tucked her hair back over her shoulder so she could see all the bite marks on her neck. It was tempting to just bite her right now, but then she'd miss out on the next part. She moved back a few inches and stared at Root's long, pale back and the ropes against her skin.

She untied the end of the rope from Root's ankle cuffs and held it in her hand instead. Didn't want it getting in the way of the next bit.

"Your arms doing okay?" she asked as she stroked a hand down Root's side.

"They're fine, Shaw."

"Good." Shaw drew her hand back and landed a ringing slap against the back of one of Root's thighs. It wasn't where Root had been expecting it and she jolted forwards and then choked back a moan as the rope rubbed against her.

Shaw waited a second to see if Root had any input, but she stayed silent. They'd established a safeword before they'd started (batmobile, much to Shaw's deep and utter disgust. Root really wouldn't let the bat thing go), but so far Root hadn't even asked her to slow down or ease up.

It was tempting to just spank her ass raw now and watch her writhe until she broke and came against orders, but it was their first time trying this out together and there was still more to come after this so Shaw kept it short and sweet.

Her hand beat a sharp pattern back and forth over both of Root's butt cheeks and she tugged lightly on the tail of the rope as well so even if Root stayed perfectly still it wouldn't help her now. She spanked her until her ass was nice and red and Root yelped and squirmed and bucked against the rope. Shaw saw the moment where she almost lost control and came but fought it down, her knuckles white on the chains and her body trembling.

She eased up and grabbed Root by the hips to help still her. Root's breath came out in a thin whine. Shaw pressed herself up against Root's back and ran a soothing hand down her side when Root flinched at the contact with her sore ass. She kissed the side of her neck, right over the most prominent bite mark and Root leaned into it as much as she could without really moving.

It was so hard not to give in and bite her but they weren't quite there yet. She circled an arm around Root and slipped it down between her legs.

Root was so slick under her fingers and sensitive enough that her body twitched and she swallowed hard when Shaw's fingers brushed by her clit. It was a little bit of a tight fit with the rope there, but she eased up on the tail enough that she could slip it to one side and push her fingers into Root nice and slow. Root clamped down a little on her fingers and Shaw thought maybe she almost came again.

She fucked Root slowly but firmly and curled her fingers inside her, easing up every time she felt Root getting close.

"Shaw, please." Root's voice cracked.

"Not yet." Though she did relent and pull her fingers out, pausing to make sure the rope was back in position. She moved her arm up, leaving a trail of wetness behind as she dragged her fingers up Root's body. She trailed her fingers over Root's lips. "Open your mouth."

Root's mouth was hot and wet as she sucked Shaw's fingers in. Her tongue licked between them and drew a satisfied grunt out of Shaw.

"That's enough." She pulled her fingers out and wiped them off on Root's chest. "Can you take another spanking?"

"I…I think so, but maybe shorter this time?"

Shaw was happy to comply and pleased at the way Root flinched when her hand cracked down on her already red ass. She laid a few good smacks on the backs of her thighs as well which almost caused Root's legs to give out.

She sat back for a moment after and took a good look at the mess she'd made of Root. Her ass was bright red, her whole body trembling, and god was she fucking turned on to the point that it was almost the only thing Shaw could smell.

"You ready for the next part?" Shaw asked. "It's fine if you just want me to get you off instead."

"And miss the best part?" Root's voice sounded raw but eager.

Shaw chuckled. "Okay then." She pressed into Root's back again and pulled her hair fully clear of the side of her neck.

"Wait."

Shaw froze.

"Not in the neck. Bite me in the thigh again."

Shaw swallowed hard at the thought. She was supposed to be tormenting Root here and then Root went and said stuff like that and instantly turned Shaw into a mess.

"You sure?"

Root adjusted her stance so her legs were as far apart as she could manage to get them in her current situation. Shaw scooted back around to Root's front and assessed the situation. She could make this work.

First she finished tying the rope off again, this time to itself so it looped around and tied in a final knot in front of Root.

Satisfied, she lay down on her side and slid her head between Root's legs. The drenched knot was just above her face, pressed lightly against Root's swollen wetness, and fuck Root smelled so good. Shaw almost gave up on the plan and ate Root out right there and then, but she stopped herself. Instead she turned her head to lick along the delicate skin on the inside of one of Root's thighs. She aimed a little further down than where she'd previously bitten her because neither of them wanted to end up with Root accidentally grinding that knot into the side of Shaw's face.

Her fangs sank slowly into Root's leg and Root twitched and cried out above her. Shaw couldn't explain the exact mechanism that controlled whether or not her fangs injected the aphrodisiac toxin into the person she bit, she just knew how to do it instinctually.

Root's skin was soft against her lips and the smell of her blood and her arousal mixing together was intoxicating. Shaw groaned against her thigh and let the toxin enter her. She gave Root a good bit less than she had that first time since she figured that with the rope and everything else going on that might be too much stimulation for her to manage.

Root's whole body pulsed and spasmed above her as she came only seconds after Shaw's fangs entered her, far, far too quickly for Shaw's tastes but she couldn't really blame Root for that. Shaw quickly pulled back, sat upright, and looped her arms around Root to support her and keep her from falling over. Root's body tensed and shook and then slumped against hers, her breath coming out in erratic gasps on Shaw's neck.

Shaw lifted Root's arms up high enough that she could open the carabiner to free the chain. She undid the cuffs on Root's wrists and the belt around her chest and then eased her back onto the bed where she carefully untied the rest of the rope and eased the knot out from between Root's legs. Root whimpered a little bit didn't react otherwise. When Shaw took off the blindfold, Root's eyes were firmly shut but Shaw didn't think she was asleep. Probably totally blissed out like last time even though she didn't have a huge sappy grin on her face now.

It was a blessing for Shaw in a way because it meant she got to give Root a quick examination without any unnecessary innuendo or adoring stares. She checked that the rope hadn't done damage anywhere and that the slight redness on Root's wrists and ankles where she'd pulled against the padded cuffs was insignificant. The bite mark on the inside of her thigh had already stopped bleeding when Shaw examined it.

She was gently rubbing Root's wrists when Root's eyes blinked open and looked up at her.

"Sameen?" she sounded a little uncertain.

"Yeah, I'm here."

Root struggled to sit upright and Shaw helped her.

"Hey, slow down. Give yourself a second."

But Root was already up and crawling into Shaw's lap to sit sideways up against her with her legs over one of Shaw's thighs and her arms circled around Shaw's neck. The blanket under them had to be chafing against her butt, but, if it was, Root seemed unaware for the moment.

Shaw shifted uncomfortably and then awkwardly patted her on the back. For the first time ever she wished that she'd had someone use the sexy vampire bite thing on her before she'd been turned, not because she really wanted it, but because then she might have some clue what it felt like for Root and what the hell she was supposed to be doing now. It probably wouldn't have helped all that much considering she didn't get all emotional and clingy even after really intense sex, but maybe it could have given her a place to start.

She'd known that Root would probably need things from her after, things that she wasn't usually comfortable with giving, but when she'd decided to do this she'd accepted that it meant taking care of Root after and, well, she was just going to have to do her best. It couldn't be harder than some of the crazy stunts she'd pulled over the years, right?

Root nuzzled her face up against the side of Shaw's neck with a sigh.

"How're you feeling?" Shaw asked her. She cautiously stroked Root's hair with one hand feeling like the most useless and awkward vampire in history.

"You worry too much," Root murmured into the side of her neck. "It's adorable."

"I think in this case I'm worrying just enough."

"I'm feeling...really nice, but also really deep, you know?"

"Uh, sure. Is that good?"

Root pulled her head away from Shaw's shoulder to meet her eyes.

"That was really amazing, and really intense, and I just need you to hold me for a while, okay? You don't need to do anything else."

"Oh, okay."

Root put her head back down on Shaw's shoulder. Now with Root's request it felt like the easiest thing ever for Shaw to wrap both her arms around Root and let her rest. There was an undercurrent of discomfort at the intimacy, but this was about taking care of Root and that made it okay somehow.

Soon she'd have to actually see to Root's mildly chafed wrists and tender butt, but none of that had to happen right away.

Root kissed her lightly on the side of the neck.

"What was that for?" Shaw asked suspiciously.

"It was to say thank you."

"For which part?"

"A lovely evening."

Shaw started stroking her hair again with one hand and this time it felt less weird. Root sighed happily into her neck.

"You're welcome," Shaw said.

* * *

Root pushed a piece of bacon around her plate with her fork. Shaw had been cooking three meals a day for her since she got here and, while it had all been amazing without exception, Shaw hadn't quite gotten the hang of making normal-sized portions. There was enough breakfast food on the table to feed an army and Shaw was watching every bite she took intently.

"Do you miss eating food?" she asked, hoping to distract from the fact that there was no way she could eat a third serving without feeling sick.

"Yeah." Shaw looked wistfully at a plate of French toast. "It still smells amazing."

"What would happen if you tried to eat it anyway?"

"I'd get sick and puke. It's not pleasant."

Root put her fork down. "What else do you miss?"

"Being able to go out at normal hours without mummifying myself. It's not the sun I miss. It's the convenience." She looked back up at Root. "That reminds me, I need to leave tonight for a few hours. It's been almost a week since I fed on a human."

Root fidgeted with the napkin in her lap. "You don't have to go out for that, you know."

Shaw went very still. "You serious?"

"I think so. Is it very different from what we've done so far?"

"Eh, mostly it's boring. Takes a lot longer and it's more like donating blood at a blood bank than anything else. You'd need to eat a big meal first so you don't get dizzy and have some juice and cookies after."

"Well, I've got the first part covered." Root pushed her plate away. "And yes, I'd like to volunteer."

Shaw nodded slowly like she was still processing that. "You know, most of the weird vampire groupies aren't even into that. No one wants to feel like food, I guess."

"Is that how you think of the people you feed from?"

"Sometimes, maybe." Shaw tilted her head. "You can still back out if that's weird."

Root smiled at her. "I'm completely okay with you eating me, sweetie."

Shaw didn't seem inclined to feed right away though. She disappeared off to the kitchen to put away the leftovers and do the dishes and Root wandered off to sprawl across the couch in Shaw's sitting room with her laptop. She was trying to be good and avoid doing work on vacation, but that didn't mean she couldn't cause trouble for some obnoxious billionaires for fun.

Shaw joined her later and settled in her chair to read. It wasn't the first time they'd ended up like this during the week. The quiet coexistence was a nice contrast to all the rough and noisy sex, especially when Root was still worn out enough from their exciting bondage adventure two days ago that she was taking it easy on that part for at least the rest of the day.

Shaw didn't mention feeding until after lunch (which was once again far too much food. The refrigerator was full of forgotten leftovers now since Shaw preferred to cook new things each time).

"If you were serious about earlier…."

"I was. Where should we do this?"

Shaw opted for the bed in her room. She sat back against the headboard with Root ensconced between her legs so she could lie back on Shaw. It would be the closest thing to comfortable for both of them, she'd explained.

"This is really not that exciting," Shaw warned her again. She'd made Root bring a book.

"I'm taking a day or two off from exciting things, remember?"

"Right." Shaw pushed the hair back off her neck and Root could feel her eye-groping all the bite marks again. And there were starting to be quite a few of those.

"Why does it take so long for bite marks to heal?" she asked.

"It's a vampire thing," Shaw muttered defensively.

Root was determined to find out what that actually meant one day.

"Ready?"

"Definitely."

It always hurt when Shaw's fangs sank into her, but Root felt a twinge of heat low in her body in response as well, like she'd come to associate that particular pain with all the good things that usually accompanied it. She didn't pursue it today though.

She was startled when Shaw's teeth withdrew, but then Shaw's mouth latched onto the wound firmly and sucked. She was going to have a hell of a hickey to go along with all the fang marks.

It still hurt some, but it was duller and less urgent. After a minute or two, Root relaxed fully back into Shaw (which got an annoyed grunt from Shaw as she tried not to get dislodged) and just enjoyed the feeling of Shaw's arms circled around her and her mouth on her neck. She felt warm and safe here. Happy even. Imagine if Shaw hadn't been in the store that night and Root had never seen her and coerced her into having several very hot sex marathons. That would have been a tragedy.

She couldn't imagine her life without Shaw in it in some way now and...that was probably something she should be worried about. Extremely worried. Like packing her bags and fleeing the country worried. That was the exact sort of thing she tried to avoid.

She wasn't nearly as concerned as she should have been though and she pushed her fears away to deal with later. Right now she just wanted to enjoy her time here.

She wasn't exactly sure how much time passed before Shaw finally pulled her mouth away. She hadn't fallen asleep, but she'd definitely relaxed enough that she'd lost track of time.

"You light-headed at all?" Shaw asked.

"I don't think so."

"You should probably still get up slowly. I'll get you some juice and stuff from downstairs."

Shaw didn't seem to be in any more of a hurry to get up than Root though.

"That was...different," Shaw said thoughtfully.

"How so?"

"Blood doesn't taste different between people, and biting donors isn't particularly fun, but there was something else. I'm not sure what. It's been a long time since I fed off of someone I was also sleeping with. Maybe that's it."

"What exactly felt different?"

"I don't know. It felt less impersonal somehow. I can't describe it." Shaw sounded defensive again.

"So I'm not food then?" Root teased.

"No, definitely not food." She rubbed at the sore spot on Root's neck. "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

* * *

Shaw had let Root stay in her bed for the rest of the day, 'for recovering' as Root had put it, and, that night, she didn't try to send her back to her room. It would have felt rude to banish her after she'd donated her blood like that.

Shaw drew the line at cuddling though. Root had to stay on her side of the bed and that was final.

"How many weeks off do you have?" she asked.

She heard Root roll over on the other side of the bed. "Since I'm my own boss, as many as I want technically, but I was planning on three."

"There's a winter festival thing the village does in two weeks. You should stick around for it." Shaw hated the winter festival with a passion. People singing loudly and out of tune and amazing-smelling food she couldn't eat. It was a convenient excuse, though.

"That sounds fun," Root said. Shaw could tell from her tone that she was probably equally not fond of holiday festivities. "I could stay that long, I think."

"Good." It was getting easier to ask her back.

At some point she knew Root would leave again, at least temporarily--they both would need some time to unwind from all of the sudden sharing of space--but Shaw was okay with her staying for just a little longer for now.

Vampires drifted rather than sleeping, hovering in a semi-conscious state while they recharged, so Shaw was very much aware when Root, deeply asleep, rolled over towards her. And then when she rolled over again and sprawled half on top of Shaw.

She should have stirred herself and pushed Root back off for invading her space, but she decided it wasn't worth it. And also Root's hair was soft and smelled nice. Maybe this wasn't so terrible.

She let herself drift peacefully with Root's head on her chest and dreamed up plans for the rest of their time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've already written a third part of this, but it's a shorter t-rated story. i have vague plans to write at least one more after that if i'm feeling inspired. 
> 
> hope you all enjoyed!


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